There are few things in the world of sports I dislike as much as undeserved hype.
Last January, then Newcastle striker Andy Carroll moved to Liverpool for a staggering £35M fee becoming the most expensive British player ever in the process. Even when accounting for the fact that the British market is typically inflated (Darren Bent would be the natural exhibit B), it is quite an investment for a player.
Two things can justify such an hefty price tag: current ability and potential ability. Carroll's good start for the Magpies in the 2010-2011 season obviously showed Liverpool he could replace the mercurial Fernando Torres upfront and at the tender age of 21 at the time, his best years would clearly be ahead of him.
Personally, I was very surprised to read the torrent of praise the young striker received. First and foremost, because his goalscoring record is hardly impressive. And regarding his upside, to be honest I didn't see £35M worth of it. He's a towering presence in the box, but he lacks pace and his technical ability is on par with other English strikers.
Last season, Liverpool played against Braga for the Europa League and Andy Carroll featured in one of the matches. He was largely anonymous throughout the match and Braga defenders had no problems keeping him at bay.
Currently, the so-called future of the England squad and Robin to Rooney's Batman is warming the bench at Anfield Road. Luis Suarez and Craig Bellamy are first-team choices and with just 4 goals since making the switch to Liverpool, Carroll can hardly complain.
Why hasn't he been able to make the cut? I have read off-the-field incidents and a lifestyle that clashes with the one of a pro athlete. Still, even the eccentric Balotelli (who's twice as talented and twice as difficult to manage) has been taking his chances to impress.
And since I started talking about hype, here's what is unfair: while Carroll is watching Liverpool alongside Kenny Dalglish, another Englishman is actually showing his talent in London. His name? Daniel Sturridge.
If I had to pick one of them for my team, I would choose Sturridge any day of the week. He's fast, inventive and almost always looks dangerous. Yet, the former Manchester City and Bolton forward seems to slip a bit under the radar.
Unless Carroll starts playing and delivering what he was signed for, not only he'll see his position at the club questioned but he'll also likely miss out on a place in the 2012 Euro England squad.
There's still plenty of time for things to come good because everybody knows memory in football is very, very short. After all, who would have said last year that Balotelli would be the one banging the goals at Man City and Carlos Tevez the troublemaker?
Still, I expect him to leave the Merseysiders at some point and join a club with a manager capable of bringing out the best in his players (Redknapp, Moyes or even Pullis).
As it stands today, he's just a very expensive average striker.
Very good post as usual.
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